Composition Analyzer

What does this tool do?

This tool does two related jobs: finding a strong composition before you commit to a reference, and transferring it accurately once you've chosen it. A digital viewfinder handles the first and a proportional grid the second.

Why artists analyze composition

• Finding a composition before committing anything to paper, the same way a physical viewfinder does
• Checking a reference against thirds, a golden triangle, or diagonals before framing a piece around it
• Transferring proportions accurately with a grid, rather than eyeballing a sketch and fixing it later
• Catching proportion mistakes at the drawing stage, where they're still cheap to fix, instead of after rendering has started

How this tool works

Upload a reference and crop it to an aspect ratio: original, square, or a few common print ratios. Overlay a guide (thirds, golden triangle, diagonals, centre, or a transfer grid with an adjustable number of divisions) in a choice of preset or custom colours and line thickness. Save multiple framings of the same reference to compare side by side, or use the transfer grid to move a composition onto a larger sheet at the correct proportions, matching the same ratio on both.

Combine with other tools

• Settle framing here first, then run Value Study or Notan Generator on the cropped reference
• Use the transfer grid alongside Line Contour to move a contour drawing onto a larger sheet accurately